Is the cost of Christmas, difficult for anyone, specially the seniors ?

No, you're not the only one by any means. I live on a pension, like many seniors do. I save up a little money from my check each month, and at Christmas, I give each of my grandchildren a card with some money in it. I give each of my children a small gift card pertaining to their individual interests. They know my gift-giving ability is limited. I also make a Christmas dinner for some of my widowed elderly friends who have no family. They contribute to the meal, so it's sort of like a pot-luck. Then we exchange white elephant gifts (tacky things we've come across during the year). Everyone has a good laugh and it's a nice time for people who otherwise would be very lonely. Sometimes, depending on the weather and on how I feel physically, I go to midnight church service on Christmas Eve. Holidays don't have to be elaborate affairs. They should be about friends and relatives getting together and enjoying a visit.

Christmas need only be as expensive as you make it. What you cannot afford, don't buy.

Many years ago, when I was living as part of a large family, we all decided that Christmas spending was getting out of hand and, bearing in mind that the majority of people don't even believe the true reason for celebrating the event, it all seemed rather crazy.

As a family of bible believing Christians we decided to buy gifts costing no more than £2 (token gifts in other words) and any money we felt we could give on top of that was put in a 'pot' and then we decided which charity we would give it to. We have done that ever since, choosing a different Christian charity each year. The only ones in the family receiving a 'slightly' more expensive gift are the grandchildren and that stops when they reach the age of 18 - only 2 more to go !!

We enjoyed Christmas all the more by not worrying about finances in the same way. We were never a family for over stocking on food and buying things just because others did so or trying things just because they are there in the shops. We bought what was necessary.

Now that I live alone I am invited out for my Christmas dinner and it is such a pleasure to me to not be entertaining others but am the one being entertained. The children each have their own families to cater for and I give them their gifts before the event but then visit them on Boxing Day, or later than week, to see what they received.

It works fine for us all (maybe it wouldn't for others though) and I'm glad that we made those changes quite some years ago. The pressure is OFF.

Nope. Then again, I grew up when all the Christmas presents for a family of six still fit under a spindly tree.

Ours still fit under a tree in the years when we give each other several things. (Our tree is now plastic, four feet tall, and sits on our radiator cover. lol) Most years, we decide what we want together and buy one thing. One year it was a TV, another year it was a computer, and another year it was a vacuum cleaner. We buy what we can afford, and that's our one splurge for the year.

Christmas isn't hard to finance. One Christmas our limit was $25 each, because we were living on $839 a month. (About 10 years ago.) Once we learned we run our finances, they don't run us, we have had no problems downsizing Christmas. Love is not shown in the amount of presents given. Love is shown all the time.

Mostly our Christmas traditions have to do with decorating, going out to enjoy free Christmas shows/lights, a few Christmas movies before the big holiday and then either the whole Star Wars series or LOTR series and Avatar, between Christmas and New Years. Even our Christmas dinner is prepared ahead of time. We make enough to eat for 4+ meals for Thanksgiving, then have the first leftover meal the day after Thanksgiving, the second one on Christmas and the third on New Years Day. The only things we have to make for Christmas and New Years are fresh cranberry sauce and dessert.

Christmas ceased to be a religious holiday many years ago. When I retired, I decided I wouldn't give in to the commercial aspect any more. I still enjoyed the celebrations, especially those that included strong drink. I enjoyed the colored lights and decorating. I even softened my curmudgeonly attitude, for a day or two, sometimes. Since the 9-11-01 attacks, I haven't been able to bring my self to celebrate at all. Cost or no, it's just a big con job, and sales event, for big merchandisers.

It's not difficult at all. I just totally ignore it. That's actually easier.

Not really since I do not have a big family. Daughter/son in law ( he gets nothing!! ) and 2 grandsons.

Daughter already has her gift ( front load washer/dryer ) Paid for. The kids will not be that expensive.

Father of daughter and his girlfriend get cash. That is it. You need to check out sales all year long and put aside. Making gift is big now.

Gifting is not mandatory. It's not the intent of the season despite what the commercials try to pound into our brains. Everyone in the US has so much excess junk anyway, why add to it?

I contribute something toward a holiday meal (whether or not I'm attending,) for my family. A nice plate of cookies, pie or something out of the ordinary fare for them to enjoy. That's enough.

It was a bit of a stretch for my husband and me the last few years. This year, I'll buy gifts for my mother-in-law, my 3-year-old granddaughter, and my baby great-grandson and great-granddaughter. I'll give gift cards or cash to everyone else. The older kids like gift cards and they know I won't have as much money as my husband and I did, so I can't be as generous as we were together.

My budget for Christmas has been getting a little lower each year. I try to do my shopping before the seasonal price increases start.

All the children of all the generations are adults . I send one food gift to each of my kids and they are to share it on Xmas day with all who visit them.

I usually give a breakfast gift box as that is what most all enjoy doing...having a morning breakfast for all who come over.

I don't give other gifts and haven't for too many years to remember.

I still work and I can't stand the Christmas pressure of buying gifts. I think it's stupid. Everyone says it's not mandatory but yet people look at you like where's my gift?

I started baking cookies and putting them in pretty tins but not everyone likes that. You can't win.